Anne Jackson


Anne Jackson was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was the wife of actor Eli Wallach, with whom she often co-starred. In 1956, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Paddy Chayefsky's Middle of the Night. In 1963, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress for her performance in two Off-Broadway plays, The Typists and The Tiger.

Early life

Jackson was born in Millvale, Pennsylvania in 1925, the daughter of Stella Germaine and John Ivan Jackson, a barber. She was the youngest of three daughters, after Catherine, eight years older, and Beatrice, three years older. Her year of birth had been misreported for years as 1926, the year Jackson gave in a 1962 interview.
Jackson's mother was of Irish Catholic descent and her father, whose original name was , had emigrated from Croatia in 1918. Her family moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was eight years old. She attended Franklin K. Lane High School.

Career

In New York, Jackson trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. She made her Broadway debut in 1945. Her theater credits included Summer and Smoke, Arms and the Man, Luv, The Waltz of the Toreadors, Mr. Peters' Connections and Lost in Yonkers.
Jackson's screen credits include The Tiger Makes Out, The Secret Life of an American Wife, How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life, Lovers and Other Strangers, Dirty Dingus Magee, Folks!, and The Shining. Her many television appearances include Armstrong Circle Theatre, Academy Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, Studio One, The Untouchables, The Defenders, multiple appearances, as different, similar, characters on Gunsmoke, Marcus Welby, M.D., Rhoda, The Facts of Life, Highway to Heaven, Law & Order, and ER. She narrated Stellaluna on an episode of the PBS series Reading Rainbow.
In March 2017, the Harry Ransom Center announced the acquisition of Anne Jackson's archive along with her husband's. It opened for research in 2018.

Personal life

Jackson was married to actor Eli Wallach, with whom she acted frequently, from March 5, 1948, until his death on June 24, 2014. They had three children, Peter, Katherine, and Roberta. Her marriage to Wallach was one of the longest and most successful in the industry. She later taught at the HB Studio in Manhattan, and continued to act in cameo roles.

Death

Jackson died at her home in Manhattan on April 12, 2016, aged 90.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1950So Young So BadJackie Boone
1959The JourneyMargie Rhinelander
1960Tall StoryMyra Sullivan
1967The Tiger Makes OutGloria Fiske
1968How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your LifeMuriel Laszlo
1968The Secret Life of an American WifeVictoria Layton
1970Zig ZagJean Cameron
1970The Angel LevineCustomer in Delicatessencameo
1970Lovers and Other StrangersKathy
1970Dirty Dingus MageeBelle Nops
1976IndependenceAbigail AdamsDocudrama
1977Nasty HabitsSister Mildred
1979The Bell JarDr. Nolan
1980The ShiningDoctorScenes not in the European cut
1984Sam's SonHarriet Orowitz
1990Funny About LoveAdele
1992Folks!Mildred Aldrich
1999Man of the CenturyMargaret Twennies
2000Something SweetGrandma
2008Vote and Die: Liszt for PresidentPartisan woman
2008Lucky DaysCorkie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1951Armstrong Circle TheatreLena
1952Lux Video TheatreSara
1952–1953The DoctorMary / Agatha Bunnerman
1953–1954The Philco Television PlayhouseDaughter
1955Studio OneFredda Walters / Mattie Hobbs
1956–1962General Electric TheaterJenny Dutton
1960Play of the WeekEadie Horton
1960LullabyEadie HortonTV movie
1962The UntouchablesEdna Gordon
1964The DefendersSally Brandt
1967CBS PlayhouseVivian Spears
1971The TypistsSylvia PaytonTV movie
1972GunsmokePhoebe PrestonEpisode: "Blind Man's Bluff"
1972Marcus Welby, M.D.Alicia Blair
1973Sticks and BonesHarrietTV movie
1974Orson Welles' Great MysteriesVivienne Carson
1975Play for TodayHelene Hanff
1977RhodaBea
1979The Family ManMaggie MaddenTV movie
1980A Private BattleKatie RyanTV movie
1980Blinded by the LightFrances BowersTV movie
1981Leave 'em LaughingShirleeTV movie
1982A Woman Called GoldaLou Kaddar / NarratorTV movie
1985The EqualizerMrs. Henrietta FieldsEpisode: "The Confirmation Day"
1985The Facts of LifeGwen
1986Tall Tales & LegendsMother Nature
1987Out on a LimbBella AbzugTV mini-series
1987Worlds BeyondMarian Burgess
1987Highway to HeavenMarge Malloy
1987Everything's RelativeRae Beeby
1988Baby MLorraine AbrahamTV miniseries
1997Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two WomenMamanTV movie
1997Law & OrderJudge Jane SimonsEpisode: "Burned"
2002The Education of Max BickfordPat
2003ERMrs. Langston